Wartburg College students are taking advantage of the week-long break between Winter and May terms to participate in service trips or music tours.

During the week of April 19-28, 76 Wartburg students are involved with eight service trips focusing on poverty, housing rehabilitation and relief efforts and environmental work.

At the same time, 166 students are performing with three music ensembles on multi-state tours — one of which is a prelude to an Asian trip in May.

The service trip destinations are:

• New York and New Jersey, assisting with Hurricane Sandy relief work, nine students.
• Denver, helping with affordable housing for the elderly, 10 students.
• Atlanta, working with teen girls and assisting the homeless, 10 students.
• The Everglades, helping on environmental and wildlife efforts, nine students.
• Utah, doing environment restoration on the Colorado Plateau in Moab, 14 students.
• Newport, N.C. and St. John’s Island, S.C., assisting Habitat for Humanity, seven and eight students, respectively.
• Miami, dealing with immigrant issues, nine students.

The three music ensembles, which tour annually, are busy as well:

• The 56-member Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Craig A. Hancock, is performing four concerts in Illinois and Iowa before traveling to China and Japan during May Term for a series of concerts at universities and high schools.
• The 77-member Wartburg Choir, under the direction of Dr. Lee Nelson, will present 10 concerts in five states — Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado.
• The 33-member Castle Singers jazz ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Jane  Andrews, has scheduled 10 concerts in four states — Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee and Louisiana, including New Orleans, often lauded as the birthplace of jazz.

The four-week May Term begins April 29 and includes 12 study-abroad courses in Latin and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.